gogozy

hope this is the right location.... i am looking for procedures to clean the throttle body with spray can cleaner...
appreciate..

gogozy

anyone?

gdcwatt

I used to use Canadian Tire MotoMaster Throttle Body Cleaner, for cleaning the inside of a high mileage 91 Civic Si's throttle body (while still attached, just disconnect the rubber hose from the TB), but it also probably cleaned up deposits inside the cylinders, and I suspect also cleaned the o2 sensor, too, without removing the 02 sensor. Every 6 months the car would start to run rough/poorly/sputter/hard to start, and this stuff would cure it in minutes! I must have done this 10 times; I replaced the engine at 250,000km, but the O2 was still in the car when I traded it at 295,000. You could see the stuff wash away the yellow/brown varnish that builds up, typically from crankcase gas that is fed into the air intake.

The product is in an aerosol can, with a nozel and detatchable plastic tube.

gogozy

big big thanks!!

can you also tell me how you do it? do i have to shut the engine off or it has to be apply while engine running? will it damange DBW? thanks..

SodaLuvr

IMO, if it isn't too difficult, disassemble the whole thing and clean it. That's probably the most effective way, if you have a lot of time on your hands.

Otherwise, I think you shut the engine off, spray the stuff, wait a few minutes, wipe it off, and repeat...I'll do mine one of these days...LOL.

gdcwatt

Follow the instructions on the can, but for part of the cleaning leave the engine running, while you spray into the exposed TB. The engine will start to bog/sputter and I used to need to work the throttle by hand to keep the car running while spraying, or else just stop spraying for a few seconds, with the engine digests it.

I haven't looked to see how DBW will affect your ability to work the throttle by hand.

This used to be part of my standard pre-emissions test clean-up (plus a couple of tanks of Sunoco 94 which has ethanol)

SodaLuvr

Careful about running the engine...some sensors may be sensitive to such cleaners and you may end up damaging one of them, which can be $$$...

gdcwatt

No question, a 15 year old Civic was a lot less sophistocated. But it was also fun, fast, and cheap.

goddsmack

I'm really curious why you're asking about the TB? Unless you have a high mileage TSX, I can't imagine that the TB is dirty at typical normal miles at this state probably around 20-40K, for a 2004 TSX at least.

Then again, I'm the one to speak...I clean my Tundra's TB every year and replace afterwards with a new fresh air filter.